v1. Well I was born on the first day of Camelot
A child of folk who believed in the king
And my first memories are of my family
Huddled around the glow of the T.V.
Their eyes were filled with liquid sadness
A flag-draped box dragged down the street
Hey he did what he could for his country
But they shot him down in the street

v2. You sent my brother home from Saigon
Another person, strange to me
We used to spend hours laughing and playing
Now he’s a drugged-up Jesus freak
I went to see him at the V.A.
Where shards of men are stored in filth
They have done what they could for their country
Now they could use a little help

chorus

v3. Down at the shop the boss tries real hard
To give benefits and pay a fair wage
We make the finest quality products
But never see a raise in pay
But the Dow Jones keeps on growing
So where does all the money go?
You need to have a billion dollars
To make the system work for you

chorus

v4. For too many years I’ve heard the doctrine
Of vanity, mediocrity and greed
I get the message from my T.V.
If I’m not rich I’m nobody
Millions of kids have grown up to believe this
But without work they turn to the streets
Instead of keeping jobs in the country
They’re gonna build another prison down the street

chorus

v5. I know it ain’t the poor among us
Who are at my pockets or pulling my strings
It’s not the ones who work beside me
Who are busy trying to feed their kids
It’s not the ones of a different color
It’s not the ones of a different creed
They are the ones we elect to serve us
Who have forgotten noblesse oblige